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Lebanon

Following on from the previous article about Lebanon, that nation is at another crossroads, which is easy to see. The warehouse area of the port of Beirut, Lebanon’s major port, through which most of its food was imported, is now gone. One of the richest areas of Beirut is in ruins. The nation is the site of an emerging great power competition, as those great powers (Russia, China and the US, and Iran as well) vie for ultimate influence. The outcome of that struggle will determine Lebanon’s future for the next few years at least, but also for the wider Middle East, as well as for the great powers. It will be of Lebanon’s choosing. To know what to expect next, we needed a working chart for the nation. In this post we look at that chart and then at what is in store astrologically for Lebanon and Western Asia in the immediate years ahead. Continue reading “Lebanon”

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The 2020 Beirut port explosion

At 15:08:18 UTC a massive blast rocked the city of Beirut, originating in the port. As of this writing 157 people were killed in the blast and over 6000 were injured, most from the blast wave and flying glass. It has also left upwards of 300,000 people homeless. The cause of the blast has been the subject of some wild speculation on the net, with fingers automatically pointed at Israel. The blast comes at the worst possible time for Lebanon, whose economy is cratering, which has been rocked by protests and is rife with corruption. Speculation is also that this event could spell the end of Lebanon as a state. To be certain, the blast and the crisis will be played to the maximum effect by all parties. The big question, especially if it was sabotage or an attack, is cui bono? We will look at that here, along with the causes of the blast and where it may be likely to lead Lebanon into the future. Continue reading “The 2020 Beirut port explosion”

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Europe’s historic day, almost

Amidst great fanfare it was announced on Tuesday morning that a deal had been struck to salvage the European Union, after 90 hours of fraught negotiations. It was not stated thus, but that is what the agreement amounts to. The European Council President Charles Michel tweeted at the conclusion of the deal, “We did it! We have reached a deal on the recovery package and the European budget for 2021 – 2027. This is a strong deal. And most importantly, the right deal for Europe right now.” Maybe so, but the bill has to pass the EU Parliament, and there will be checks that the money will be well-spent. The UK is not included in the package, since it decided to leave the EU. Will it ultimately be enough to save the EU, is it another version of the Greek bailout, or is it just a temporary band-aid? Continue reading “Europe’s historic day, almost”

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A typical summer in Iran

Iran has had a run of incidents of late that have many people pointing fingers at Israel and the US for sabotage. There have been fires and explosions reported on nearly a daily basis since 25 June, one at a missile production facility and one at the Natanz nuclear facility. There have been others at non-military installations. Activity on the internet after each of these incidents has led to wild speculation as to the causes, but no conclusive proof. For pro-regime change people it would seem to be a move toward a dream-come-true. But what is really taking place and is this a concerted effort to spread panic through Iranian society in hopes of overthrowing ‘the regime’? Or is it something else? Continue reading “A typical summer in Iran”

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Comet NEOWISE

Some of the best views of a comet we have had in recent memory are taking place in the northern hemisphere over the next few days. Just after sunset from now to the 23rd, Comet NEOWISE will be visible near the Big Dipper, also known as the main asterism in Ursa Major. To the Italians, it is the Chariot. But to the ancient Chinese, the constellation had great political significance. In esoteric astrology the asterism is known as the Seven Rishis, the source of the seven rays, the fundamental qualities of consciousness that inform our local universe. Comets are said to be the seeds of future worlds, bringing in significant new qualities when they are visible. So what does our newest visitor have to convey to us in this time of international crisis, and especially, what is the significance of it appearing near the Seven Rishis? Continue reading “Comet NEOWISE”

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The Great Reset is happening now

The folks who go to form the Davos crowd have announced the theme of their next meeting, a so-called “Great Reset”, to be put forward at the January 2021 World Economic Forum. It has been called the most radical and ambitious economic plan the world has seen in at least a generation. If pushed through, it would involve programs the likes of which Bernie Sanders campaigned for in his candidacy bids for the White House. We all know how those ideas were received. Yet, Western Europe has had those types of programs in place for decades, though they have been eroded by successive administrations in those nations under the auspices of IMF rules and globalization. However, the Great Reset is already underway, though we don’t know how it will all pan out. The most resistant nations will be the US and the UK. The reset is also shown in the planetary cycles – an eclipse and a Great Conjunction. Continue reading “The Great Reset is happening now”

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Hong Kong and the National Security Law

On the last day of June this year the equivalent of the Chinese Senate of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) passed the National Security Law in line with Article 23 of the de facto constitution of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Hong Kong had failed to create any of the laws demanded by Article 23. Every time they tried to enact such a law, large-scale protests and riots erupted on the island. That was true in 2003, 2014 and 2019 and thus prevented the passage of such laws. The CCP finally had enough with the latest round, and as it turns out, most residents of Hong Kong have as well. To hear Western media reporting on the newly enacted law, it is one of the worst things that could have happened to Hong Kong. Yet, it was bound to happen at some point. But as with anything in life and in geopolitics, the situation in Hong Kong is not as it is painted in the media. Continue reading “Hong Kong and the National Security Law”

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The Republican PNAC v 2.0

In case you missed it, 2020 is an election year in the US. On the 10th of June 2020 a Republican caucus in the US released its version of what could otherwise be known as the new PNAC plan for the US in the next decades ahead. Most readers will be familiar with the PNAC (Plan for the New American Century), most famous for its denizens in the Bush II “W” administration, a few of whom have made cameo appearances in the Trump administration, and one of whom just released a book. When you think of the PNAC, think John Bolton, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Elliot Abrams and the like, and the policies they represent, and you will be close to the mark in what this new plan inks out. It is called, “The RSC National Security Strategy: Strengthening America and Countering Global Threats”. It all sounds innocuous enough, right? Continue reading “The Republican PNAC v 2.0”

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Is it a question of race or class with the Floyd protests?

In the midst of a still ongoing pandemic, the focus in the US has shifted to ongoing protests and incidents of violence since the death of George Floyd. These protests come just over 50 years after J. Edgar Hoover called the Black Panther Party “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country”. Why that was will become apparent later. Membership in the party reached its peak in 1970. Some comment has asked whether the Black Lives Matter movement are picking up where the Panthers left off. The protests today do reflect many of the same issues that motivated the Black Panthers to form in 1966. The question is, are the current protests in the United States about race, or are they simply a question of police policy, or is there something more to them? Continue reading “Is it a question of race or class with the Floyd protests?”